Propelling mechanism



Oct. 22, 1940. c A, gsE

v PROFELLING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1959 ym]; I

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Patented Oct. 22, 1940 g V PRorELmN MECHANISM 1 Charles ArMassey, Norman, Okla. I j Applicati n Januaryzl, 1939, Seri alNo; 252,191

roam. (C l. lib-+150) nism'of thiski'nd operating'in the general fashion of apaddle wheel and wherein "are employed blades mounted in a mannerwhereby the angle of the blades can be readily changed at'will while the mechanism. is in operation or otherwise.

The invention also embodies a mechanism of this kind comprising a driven rotatable member carrying a pluralitybf blades each of which has its central portion rotatably engaged'with the member and wherein means are provided to effeet a one-half revolution of each of the blades to'a single revolution of the rotatable member.

The invention jc'onsists'in the details of construction and in the"combin ation and arrangement of the several parts of 'my improved propelling mechanism whereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less expensive' 'and' otherwise more con venient and advantageousffor 'use; as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth. j

The novel features of'myinvention will hereinafter be definitelyvclaimed. H l

y In order that 'myinve tion may be the better understood, I willin'owproceed to describe the same with referenceto the accompanying draw; ing,wherein: a M Y Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating a propelling mechanism constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention; a Figure 2 is'an enlarged fragmentary..view-partly in elevation and partly insection illustrating certain features of the .mechanism as herein comprised; ;p

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, P

denotes a platform or other support comprised, in the structure of a watercraft or aircraft and disposed transversely thereof by the blocks I are the housings 2 at opposite sides of the gear casing 3. Rotatably disposed thru the housings 2 is a shaft 4 of desired length and which has each end portion extending a desired distance outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the platform P, The shaft 4 is in driven connection with a power shaft 5 of conventional gearing arranged within the casing 3. It is to be stated at this time that the means for rotating the shaft 5 in 1i;ts details forms no part of the present invenion.

7 member 2|.

pivotal mounting and such depending arm 21 Mounted uporreach extended end portion of the shaft 4 is a'jrotatable member R of desired dimensions. v This member R constitutes a cas ing and comprises the spaced circular side plates 6 having interposed between the peripheral portions thereof a closing sleevev or annular member 'I. These plates 6 and member 1 are main: tained in assembled relation in any desired 'm'an-i ner, such as by conventional bolts 8. H i I The plates 6 of each of the rotatable members R at the axial centers thereof are provided with "the openings 9, and IU'through which the extended end portion of the shaft 4 snugly passes. The opening 9 in the outer plate6 snuglyv receivesthe shaft 4, and locked, as at H, to the outer face of theouter plate 6 is a hub sleeve [2 jdefiningthe opening 9 and through whichhub sleeve. l2 the shaft 4 also snuglypas'ses. This hub sleeve 12 is provided with means, such as the binding screw I4, for locking the hub sleeve l2 to theshaft 4, whereby saidshaft 4 and the rotatable member R .are connectedvfor unitary rotation in the same direction; I

Each end portion of thefhousing 2 is provided with an elongated bearing sleeve [5 :for the adjacent portion of the shaft 4 and this sleeve,

when applied, is of a length to extend within the member B through the opening I6 in the inner plate 6 of the member R., Freelymounted on the bearing sleeve l5rfor rotation therearound is a second sleeve 16 which also extends within the member'vR through thelopening I!) but which is also disposed as desired beyond the opposite faces of the inner plate 6.

Keyed, as at IT, to IE extending outwardly beyond the inner plate 6 of the member R is a gear wheel of desired size and with which engages an elongated rack l9 having endwisemovement in a direction at right angles to the shaft 4.

Each of these racks l9, as herein disclosed, is properly supported in desired placement by the upstanding guide brackets 20 carried by the platform P and the two rack members I9 are connected for unitary movement by the cross member or strip 2|, One end portion of the'cross member 2| is formed to provide a bracket 22 with which is pivotally connected, as at 23, a hand lever 24. As illustrated in Figure 1, this hand lever 24 is pivotally mounted, as at 25, on a support 26 positioned a suitable distance below the The lever 24 is continued below its of the lever at itslower end carries a swinging dog 28 normally maintained in locking engagement the portion of the sleevethe rack 29 through the medium of the conventional release as illustrated at 3|.

Rotatably supported by the plates 6 of each of the members R and bridging the space therebetween are the shafts 32. These shafts 32 are equidistantly spaced at opposite sides of the shaft 4 and are in parallelism with each other and with the shaft 4, The shafts 32 and shaft 4 are also within the same radial plane.

The shafts 32 extend outwardly beyond the outer plate 6 of the rotatable member and fixed to said extended portions of the shafts 32 vat their longitudinal centers are the relatively broad fiat blades 33 of desired length. The outer or extended end portions of the shafts 33 are engaged with th extremities of the reinforcing member 34, the central portion of which is keyed or otherwise locked, as at 35, to thevextremity of the shaft 4 outwardly of theadjacent memberR.

Keyed, as at 36 orotherwise fixed to the sleeve l6 for rotation therewith are the sprockets 3! arranged .side by side and of the same size. Fixed to the shafts 32 within each of the rotatable members R are the sprocket wheels 38, said wheels 38 and sprockets 31 being of a ratio of two to one with the wheels 38 being the largest. Engaged around each of the sprocket wheels 38 is a sprocket chain 39 which is also disposed around one of the sprockets 31.

It is believed to be obvious that .as the members R make a single revolution the blades 33 will swing 1'80", and it is to be further stated that in the assembly of each pair of blades 33 the relation will be such that when one. of the blades is in a horizontal position the other will be in a vertical position as illustrated in the drawing. It is also believed to be obvious that upon proper manipulation of the lever 24, the angle of the blades 33 may be variedas desired independently of the members .R and that such variations can be accomplishedat will during the turning of the membersR or when the sameare at a standstill.

It is believed to be apparent that atevery onehalf .turn of the member R the blades .33 are in perpendicular relation.

During each revolution of a member R the blades 33 carried thereby come into penpendicular relation for one-half turn of the member. In Figure 1 of the drawing, the lever .24 has been operated to turn the sleeve is and the sprockets 31 carried thereby to an extent to cause each of the blades .33 as it travels upwardly to assume .a substantially vertical position and the second blade 33 to extend outwardly .from the member R as it travels downwardly whereby the boat is travel of the boat, the lever 24 is shifted to rotate the sleeve l6 and the sprockets 31 to adjust the blades 33 so that as a blade 33 travels downwardly it is substantially vertically disposed and outwardly directed as it travels upwardly, thus causing the blade to have its propelling action above the shaft l instead of "below which is the case when the blade is in. the position first mention.

'From the foregoing description it is thought to be-obvious that a propelling mechanism constructed inaccordance with my invention is particularly well adapted 'for us by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts therein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed. 1

I claim:

A propelling mechanism comprising a shaft, means for rotating the shaft, a casing mounted on the shaft, said casing comprising two spaced side plates connected .for unitary rotation, means for securing one of the plates of the casing to the shaft, alsleeve freely mounted on :the shaft and freely extending within the casing through the second side plate, {shafts .rotatably carried by the plates of the casing. and bridgingthespace between-said plates, said rotatably carried shafts extending outwardly beyond the plate of the casing fi-xed to the first named shaft, elongated blades havingtheir central ,portions fixed'to the extended portions of the rotatably-carried shafts,

said rotatably .carried shafts being at opposite sides of the first named shaft-and in parallelism therewith, a sprocket fixed to each of the rotatably carried shafts between the side plates of the casing a pair of sprockets fixed to the sleeve and positioned between the side plates of ,the casing, sprocket chains connecting the sprockets of the sleeve with the sprockets of the rotatably carried shafts, the sprockets on the sleeve and the sprockets on the ro-tatably carried shafts being of a ratio, when the sprockets on the sleeve are held against rotation, of one to two respectively, means for rotating the sleeve independently'of the first shaft and casing thereon for adjusting the angular relation of the blades, and means for locking the sleeve against rotation.

CHARLES A. MASSEY. 

